<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Loving Home by heizeze</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474831">A Loving Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/heizeze/pseuds/heizeze'>heizeze</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Catboys >.< [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cat/Human Hybrids, Catboy AU, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hybrid Shelter, Mentions of past abuse, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Soft Kageyama, background AsaNoya - Freeform, catboy hinata, catboy shouyou, cute lil shouyou, shouyou only likes daichi at first, slight angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:02:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474831</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/heizeze/pseuds/heizeze</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Shouyou is a damaged shelter hybrid. Kageyama is a hopeful young college student. Kageyama changes Shouyou’s life for the better.</p>
<p>(this is a prequel to “Birthday”)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Haikyuu Catboys >.< [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1842721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>175</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Loving Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>just a lil drabble i did a few days ago ^-^ pls enjoy!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kageyama shivered when he stepped out of his car, squinting in the bright daylight. The hybrid shelter was a quaint little building, tucked away behind a thicket of tall trees just off the highway. A faded blue and white sign next to the door with the words peeling off a little read <strong>“Sawamura Hybrid Shelter”</strong>. Shutting the his car, Kageyama walked quickly towards the entrance, trying to avoid the chilly air as much as possible. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A little bell twinkled as he pulled the door open and he was greeted by a short, friendly-faced man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. His hair was bleached silver and a few strands fell into his face. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi, welcome! What can I help you with?” he asked Kageyama, flashing him a kind smile. The taller man clasped his hands together, “Uh, yeah- I’m looking to adopt a cat hybrid. One that’s not very adoptable or has been here for a while.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The other man’s face lit up.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, of course! Follow me!”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kageyama did his best not to meet the eyes of the sad looking cat and dog hybrids, or he’d want to buy all of them. He kept his gaze on the worker’s back as they passed through the long hallway lined with small rooms that resembled jail cells, most of them occupied with cat and dog hybrids, some of them huddled together. They all looked so sad, their eyes practically </span>
  <span class="s2">begging</span>
  <span class="s1"> Kageyama to take them home with him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re sure you want our </span>
  <span class="s2">least</span>
  <span class="s1"> adoptable cat?” The silver haired man asked, turning back to look at Kageyama as he led him towards the end of the hall. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I- um, yes.” Kageyama replied sheepishly. He’d wanted to adopt a cat hybrid for as long as he could remember, but he’d never been in the right situation to adopt one, that is, until now. He’d just finished his freshman year of college, had a whole apartment to himself in the city, and was finally financially stable enough to support another person in his life. Sure, he’d thought about maybe getting an </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">actual</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1"> boyfriend, but he’d never been one to act overly affectionate, and he didn’t have the best luck in terms of his love life. He really just wasn’t the relationship type. He’d learned that the hard way. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once he’d finally told his friends that he was looking to adopt, they’d introduced him to the idea of adopting a hybrid that had had a hard time at the shelters and finding a loving home. It took him a bit to warm up to the idea of adopting a hybrid that wasn’t in perfect mint condition, but eventually he started to like the idea of giving a troubled hybrid a second chance. Most of his friends owned hybrids themselves. His favorite in particular was Noya, Asahi’s cat-boy. Noya was bright and energetic, yet he knew when to be mellow out and tone it down, for Asahi’s sake. Whenever they visited Kageyama, it wouldn’t be long after they arrived that Noya would end up curled up on the black-haired man’s lap, no stranger to the excellent scratches he supposedly gave. Asahi and Noya seemed like the perfect pair. Kageyama wanted something like that, and when Asahi had brought up the idea that he could help a struggling hybrid out, he knew that was the right thing to do. The silver haired man’s words snapped Kageyama out of his thoughts as he stopped at the end of the hall and spoke. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is our least adoptable cat. His name is Shouyou,” the man started, turning to face Kageyama. “We think he’s about 18 or 19, and he’s been dumped at this shelter twice already.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A small, orange-haired cat-boy sat curled up in the back corner of the tiny room, chin resting on his knees. He didn’t look aggressive, maybe skittish, but he was cute. He had large, fluffy, cream-colored ears that were slightly pinned back, and a matching fluffy cream tail that was wrapped around himself. His copper eyes sparkled with fear as he watched the two men approach his room. Aside from his hunched stance, he seemed very adoptable. Kageyama’s brows knitted together, puzzled. </span>
  <span class="s2">Who <em>wouldn’t</em> want this adorable cat-boy?</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The shelter worker sensed his confusion. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know he looks pretty small and harmless, but he has a history of biting and scratching. We also think he must’ve been abused by one of his past families. He’s really skittish. And,” the man stopped, lifting his left sleeve and directing Kageyama’s eyes to look at his bare arm. A short, dark, tooth-shaped mark tainted the pale skin. “He bit me a few weeks ago.” Kageyama’s eyes widened at the mark. He looked back at the tiny Shouyou, who was now staring holes into the ground. The worker chuckled a bit at Kageyama’s surprised expression, rolling his sleeve back down. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry, I don’t mean to scare you, but we’re legally obligated to tell you if any of our cats or dogs have a history of biting or scratching.” Kageyama shook his head. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s alright. Can I go in there and meet him?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The worker’s eyes widened and his jaw hung a little bit. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, yeah, I just have to go grab a muzzle for him, or else you can’t go in there,” he scratched the back of his head, beginning to walk down the hallway. “I’ll be right back,” he called. Kageyama nodded and looked back to Shouyou, still curled up in the corner. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">Why would they need to muzzle this small, adorable boy?</span>
  </em>
  <span class="s1"> The thought tugged at his heart. He didn’t care if Shouyou was aggressive. He just wanted to give him a good home. It didn’t hurt that his big umber colored eyes were absolutely adorable, either. </span>
  <span class="s1">Kageyama was yanked from his thoughts when a tall figure stepped up beside him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This is Daichi, he’s gonna help. Shouyou’s a little more comfortable with him than me,” the silver haired man said, gesturing at the new guy standing next to him. Daichi gave a small ‘hi’ and a smile before fishing a key out of his pocket and unlocking the door to Shouyou’s room. He quickly stepped inside, closing the see-through door behind him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Through the glass, Kageyama could only hear the deep vibrations of Daichi’s soft voice, most likely saying soothing words as he inched closer to Shouyou. Kageyama watched, unknowingly holding his breath as Daichi gently slipped the wire muzzle over Shouyou’s face and fastened the leather strap behind his head. Slowly, Daichi moved to scratch Shouyou’s ears a bit, probably trying to soothe him. The cat leaned his head forward a a little, wearily accepting the attention. Daichi finally stood up slowly and walked back to the door, signaling for Kageyama to enter. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just be slow and gentle, he gets very nervous around strangers,” Daichi instructed with a kind smile. Nodding, Kageyama stepped into the small room, locking his eyes on the small boy below him. Shouyou’s big brown eyes looked up into Kageyama’s. This cat-boy didn’t look menacing, aggressive, or angry. No, he looked frightened. Kageyama wished that Shouyou wasn’t muzzled like some sort of wild animal being gawked at at a zoo. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Bending down to a squat in front of the boy, Kageyama gave a small wave. Shouyou visibly shrunk backwards and his ears flattened against his ruffled hair. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey. I’m Kageyama Tobio,” he began, doing his best to soften his usually cold blue eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Shouyou even more scared of him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Slowly, he reached a limp hand out to Shouyou for him to sniff it. The redhead cautiously tilted his face closer, never taking his eyes off of the taller man. After a few tense moments, Shouyou moved his face forward to rub his cheek against Kageyama’s palm. According to his research, this was something cat hybrids did when meeting a new person who they deemed not to be a threat. He smiled a bit as the cat-boy shifted his head so that Kageyama’s hand was over his left ear. </span>
  <em>
    <span class="s2">He wants me to scratch him. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Doing his best not to appear overly excited at this surprising display of affection, Kageyama gently began to scratch Shouyou’s fluffy ear. Moving his hand lower to scratch the base of his ear, Kageyama grinned even wider as a soft purr left the boy’s throat. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Would it make you happy to come home with me?” Kageyama waited for a response, but received none. Shouyou only purred a bit louder and pressed his head against the human’s hand a bit harder. That was enough for Kageyama. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d like to take this little one,” Kageyama said, loud enough for the two outside to hear him, but not too loud so as to startle Shouyou. He turned his head back to look at the two workers, who were staring wide-eyed at Shouyou’s apparent affection for a complete stranger. Daichi spoke first.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, yeah! Suga, can you go get his paperwork ready?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kageyama turned back to Shouyou, who suddenly appeared to shy under the taller’s excited gaze.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shouyou, I’m gonna give you a good home.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Shouyou’s eyes were uncertain, yet hopeful.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Alright! Shouyou’s leashed up and ready for you at the front!” Suga said, a cheery grin spread across his face. Kageyama couldn’t help but grin as well. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Awesome!” He beamed, standing up and following Suga out of the office.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something about the sight of Shouyou standing there next to Daichi, leashed and muzzled, made his heart hurt. It just seemed so- so </span>
  <span class="s2">inhumane</span>
  <span class="s1">. There was no way Kageyama was going to make Shouyou wear the leash and muzzle at home. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here you go, please take good care of little Shou-chan,” Daichi said, handing the leash to Kageyama.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I will.” Kageyama flashed them a grateful smile, then shifted his smile to Shouyou, who was looking a little frightened. But Kageyama would give anything to keep that frightened look out of Shouyou’s eyes as long as he could. He was determined to give this little cat-boy the best, loving home he possibly could. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">~</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Welcome home,” Kageyama said, gently ushering Shouyou into his apartment. Kageyama’s eyes widened. “Oh! Here, I’ll take that off,” he said, reached towards Shouyou’s collar to remove his leash. He grimaced as he watched Shouyou flinch and squeeze his eyes shut at the sudden movement, curling in on himself a little and fluffing his tail up. Kageyama felt a lump in his throat at the sight. He deftly unhooked the leash from the collar and sighed, hanging it on the door behind Shouyou. “Come sit over here and I’ll take that muzzle off for you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cautiously, Shouyou followed his new owner towards the plush-looking couch. Kageyama sat at one end and patted the space next to him. He could tell Shouyou was afraid to sit, but he did anyway, leaving a generous amount of space between them and resting his tail on his own thigh. Kageyama turned to his new pet. He caught Shouyou’s gaze in his own before speaking.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m trusting you not to bite me when I take off the muzzle. I don’t want to have to put it back on you,” he said firmly, carefully reaching behind the cat-boy’s head to unbuckle the uncomfortable-looking muzzle. His lips tightened as he watched Shouyou squeeze his eyes shut and tremble. He could tell that the smaller </span>
  <span class="s2">really</span>
  <span class="s1"> didn’t like being touched, even though he was a cat hybrid, and his body probably craved physical touch and affection. The thought that someone had abused him enough to make him so skittish like this made his blood boil. He shook away that thought and continued to work on the surprisingly difficult buckle on the strap of the muzzle. Once he’d finally finished, he placed the muzzle on the coffee table and watched as Shouyou stretched his jaw and tenderly rubbed it. Kageyama couldn’t even </span>
  <span class="s2">imagine</span>
  <span class="s1"> how uncomfortable Shouyou must have been, his jaw clamped shut with cold metal and leather for however many hours it had been since Daichi had muzzled him back at the shelter. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, Shouyou... this is your new home- I really hope you like it here,” Kageyama breathed out as he stood up and walked towards the balcony door. Shouyou watched him with weary eyes as his new owner picked up a giant purple body-sized pillow. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I bought this for you, among other things...” he paused, looking down at the array of blankets and smaller pillows on the floor. “So, you know... feel free to roam around anywhere, and help yourself to anything in the refrigerator,” Kageyama encouraged, adding a small smile. His eyebrows raised and he turned towards the opposite corner beside the television, where an ornamental rectangular mirror was propped against the wall. “I got these for you, to you know, groom and stuff,” Kageyama paused in thought, “we can always move it, though- if you’d prefer it somewhere else in the the house.” Shouyou’s eyes scanned over all of the things his new owner had bought for him. In front of the mirror, a small cloth lay folded neatly on the floor with a little brush to help Shouyou groom himself atop it. The fact that these things were all just for him made something stir inside Shouyou, and old feeling- one he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. He continued to survey all of his new belongings. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kageyama was particularly excited to see if his new pet would like this brush, which had glowing reviews online. It supposedly had ultra-soft bristles with the perfect density to help maintain Shouyou’s delicate fur on his tail and ears. Lost in thought, Kageyama’s eyes widened when a small sound came out of the cat-boy behind him. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you... Master.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wh- uh... Master? I’m not your master, don’t call me that!” Kageyama snapped and whipped around, eyebrows pinching together. The last thing he wanted was for Shouyou to think that he was in any way </span>
  <span class="s2">lesser </span>
  <span class="s1">than him. Hybrid or not, he wanted them to be equals. He sensed his mistake when Shouyou’s ears flattened against his head and he looked down fearfully. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry Ma- um- Kageyama-sama! Please don’t punish me, I-I won’t do that again.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kageyama shook his head, softening his eyes. His heart ached with the thought that Shouyou had probably been punished in the past for something as simple as addressing someone with the incorrect honorifics. He gently reached out to scratch Shouyou’s ears. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Look at me, Shouyou.” The cat-boy wearily turned his head up to look his new owner in the eyes. Kageyama felt him tremble against his hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just Tobio is fine. And I’m not punishing you for anything, ever.” For a split second, Shouyou looked surprised, but cast his gaze down again. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok... Thank you, Tobio-san.” Kageyama began to stroke his fingers through the redhead’s hair and smiled when he didn’t flinch or shy away. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course, Shouyou. You deserve a good life.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">~</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As the days passed by, Shouyou began to warm up to Kageyama. The two began to fall into a comfortable rhythm, Kageyama giving Shouyou his space, and the cat-boy slowly beginning to trust his owner. The less Kageyama crowded Shouyou and tried to touch him, the closer the cat-boy would get. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">One ritual they repeated quite often was their regular nightly routine, in which Kageyama would get home from his last class at around five p.m and cook a meal for himself and Shouyou. Something that had puzzled Kageyama was Shouyou’s surprise at the suggestion that he would be eating at the same table as Kageyama.</span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“</em>
    <em>You mean... we’re eating together?” confused eyes looked up at Kageyama, hopeful, but still confused. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“Of course, silly. You’re part of my family now, you know,” Kageyama had stopped for a moment as they both awkwardly sat down at the dining table, his textbooks and clutter shoved to the opposite side. “Did your previous family not allow you to eat with them?” Shouyou shook his head, ears drooping down at the memory. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“No. They always fed me outside. I-“ an obvious blush creeped up the cat-boy’s cheeks as he spoke, “I’ve never been allowed to use utensils before, either.” </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>Kageyama inwardly scowled at that. What, did they expect him to just plunge his head into the plate, like a feral animal? Sure, Shouyou was a hybrid, but that didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like some sort of wild animal. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After Kageyama had taught him how to properly use chopsticks, Shouyou’s absolute monster appetite began to show itself. He always found himself grinning a bit as he watched Shouyou endlessly shovel food into his mouth at every meal. He wondered where all of that food went, but it was nothing Kageyama would ever complain about. He was actually happy that Shouyou had begun to fill out a little since being practically emaciated at the shelter, although he still remained thin and small. Kageyama pretended that he didn’t notice how soft and plush Shouyou thighs looked to touch, no, he definitely never thought about that. He also didn’t think about how when Shouyou would stretch himself across the couch or over the his pillow on the floor by the balcony door, sometimes his shirt would rise a up bit and his cute, perfect little tummy would peek out, beckoning Kageyama to go and squish it. He never thought about those things. Ever. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another habit that Kageyama had noticed was Shouyou’s insatiable desire for games and toys. He’d chase laser dots, strings, and really anything that moved. On the rare occasion that a moth would find its way into the apartment, Shouyou would chase the poor thing until he either caught it or fell asleep from exhaustion, whichever came first. It was usually the latter. Shouyou even found himself swatting at Kageyama’s ankles as he walked in after school when he’d grow excessively bored at the end of the day. Kageyama didn’t mind. Not that he reached that state often, but when Kageyama had returned from a long day of classes one day, he arrived at his apartment to find Shouyou hiding behind the couch and one of his potted plants smashed on the floor in the den. Before seeing what had happened, he had immediately known something was wrong when he pushed backwards through the door, grocery bags in hand, and he heard absolute silence. He usually left the television on for Shouyou when he left, or the radio at least. But there was nothing. Kageyama went straight to the kitchen, sighing and setting his bags down on the sparkly kitchen counter. He removed his jacket and called out to his pet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“Shouyou? Where are you?” he called, stepping out of the kitchen and gasping as he beheld the sight that was once his pristine living room. Dirt and sharp pieces of ceramic littered the wood floor and rug. He moved his eyes to see what was left of his small camellia plant, which had at some point been placed on the stand next to the television. Sure, something was broken and there was a mess, but Kageyama was more worried about Shouyou. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“Shouyou? Please come out. I’m not mad at you,” he said, his voice growing softer as he got through the sentence. Something clicked in his head and he realized that Shouyou was probably scared shitless that he’d broken one of his owner’s possessions. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>He hadn’t spoken much about it at the time, but he’d mentioned to Kageyama that the head of one of his previous families used to hit him or make him sleep outside in the cold if he ever broke anything, or was too loud, too clingy, too... himself. He also said something about not being allowed to eat or drink for days as another form of punishment. He tried not to combust with rage when Shouyou had said that. The thought of someone laying a foul hand on his precious cat-boy or purposely starving him made Kageyama’s blood boil.</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p2">
  
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“Shouyou...? Don’t be afraid, I’m really not mad at you.” A tiny whimper came from behind the couch, and Kageyama knew exactly where his pet was hiding.</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>Slowly, he walked over, carefully avoiding the landmine of sharp ceramic, dirt, and leaves. He frowned at Shouyou’s small, curled form. The cat-boy had squeezed himself between the end of the couch and the adjacent wall. The mess of fluffy hair and ears trembled visibly as Kageyama squatted in front of him. A little sob raked out of the younger and his tail flicked nervously, sending a painful jolt through Kageyama’s heart. </em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“I’m sorry Tobio-chan- I didn’t... *sniff* didn’t mean to break it *sniff* There was a moth and-and I chased it and knocked it over... Please don’t punish me Tobio-chan!” he shook his head vigorously as he stammered on, “I won’t do it again, I promise- I- *sniff* please, I don’t want to be punished...”</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">“Shouyou. Look at me,” Kageyama instructed, voice gentle, yet firm. Puffy eyes and wet cheeks poked up. Fluffy ears turned towards him. Kageyama softened his gaze. “Shouyou. I will never, </span>
    <span class="s3">ever</span>
    <span class="s2"> hit you, make you sleep outside, starve you- anything like that. I will always do my best to take care of you Shouyou,” there was conviction laced into Kageyama’s words. Truly, no part of him could ever hurt Shouyou on purpose. A small smile graced Kageyama’s lips. The cat-boy sniffled. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <em>“...Really? You’re... not gonna return me to the shelter?”</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"><em>“Absolutely not. Why don’t you go lay on the couch? I’ll get this cleaned up.” Sniffling, Shouyou nodded and slowly stood. Kageyama gave his hair a little ruffle and briefly </em><em>scratched his ears before tending to the mess. As Shouyou wiped his eyes and plopped himself onto the couch, a warm thought entered his mind and all of the fear drained out.</em> </span>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <em>
    <span class="s2">This Tobio-chan really </span>
    <span class="s3">is</span>
    <span class="s2"> different. Maybe Shouyou really could be happy here. </span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope y’all liked it!! comments and/or suggestions are appreciated ^-^</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>